Lock-strike.



T. B. STEVENS.

LOCK STRIKE APPLIOATION IjILEn Nw. zo, 1909.

'Patented my 17, 1910..

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THEODORE B. STEVENS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

LOCK-STRIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 20, 1909.

Patented May 1'7, 1910.

Serial No. 529,027.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, THnoDoRn B. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lock-Strikes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement on a lock strike for use with spring latches.

In latches of the sort particularly intended for use on refrigerator doors one requirement to practical success is that, when the door is closed, the latch shall not only automatically engage with the strike, but that it shall also be adapted, when moved in the latching d1- rection in contact with the strike to draw the door tightly closed. The practical commercial use of such latches has shown the necessity for an adjustable strike as one o f the cooperating parts. This is because it 1s not practicable to so make all the doors that when hinged to the respective door frames and closed tightly their external surfaces, to which the latching members are attached, shall be at uniform distance above the surfaces of the door frames to which the strike members are attached. If the surfaces do not bear this practically unvarying relation to each other, the latching device in some instances would not, by engaging the strike, be able to draw the door closed, and in some instances would not be able to automatically go behind the strike when the door is closed unless the strike be adjustable. rfhe feature of this invention is therefore the adjustable strike shown.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which--v Figure l is a front elevation illustrating a preferred form of latching device employed in connection with the strike of my invention, the device being assembled for right hand operation, the latching part and the strike thereof being applied respectively to the door and door frame in position to cooperate. Fig. 2 is a sectional view in the plane indicated by line 2 2 on Fig. lof the latching part of the mechanism,-the strike being shown unsectioned. Fig. 3 is a view from the left side of Fig. l showing the adjustable strike and the end of the latching bar in operative engagement therewith.

In the preferred form of latching device shown in connection with the strike, the

latching member B has an axial stud b which projects into a bearing socket c in the base plate A and rotates thereon. A projecting tongue b at one side of the member B is approximately V-shaped on its inner face and slightly crowned on its outer or top surface which engages the inner or under side of the strike. The latching member B has another projection b2 through which the member may be rotatively operated by a handle C pivoted at c on a lug a projecting from the base A. The member B is rotated by a coiled spring'D. The member B is also provided with a spring locking bolt E, engaged by a slot a2 in the base A which permits of limited rotary movement of said member, a spring F holding the bolt end into the slot. To lend additional support to the member B a transverse groove b3 is formed in the inner face of a projecting portion of the member at the base or heel end of the tongue and this groove engages a flange a3 extending from the face of the base member A.

The strike consists of a post H having an escutcheon plate z/ by which it may be secured to the door frame. The strike head H which is in the form of a truncated cone of the proper inclination has a threaded .stem h2 which screws into the post H, and is provided with suitable means for turning it. Preferably a fiat sided portion h3 is formed on this threaded shank just back of the head H and adapted to be engaged by a wrench to facilitate the turning of said head and screw and its movements outward or inward in the post H. The screw is preferably fitted tightly into its socket in the post H to prevent its turning accidentally. However much or little this head may be required to be turned in order to get it into proper position to engage the latch member and hold the door tightly closed a suitably inclined surface, namely, the conical surface will be presented to the latch as the door is closing so that said latch will be automatically lifted and allowed to pass behind the strike head. With such a strike it is a matter of no importance how much variation there may be in the distance which the front surface of the door frame is behind that surface of the door on which the latching member is secured. Be this distance much or little, the strike head may be screwed into or out of post H to bring said head into the proper position to engage with the latch and perform the required functions.

It will be understood that the latch operating lever need not be used. In that event the arm b2 is made larger and of suitable shape to be taken hold of to turn the latching member.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. As part of a latch mechanism adapted to be secured to a door and to coperate therewith, a strike comprising one member adapted to be secured to the door frame, and another member which is provided with a truste-conical head, the rear face of which has an integral shank adapted to be screwed into the first mentioned part of said strike member.

2. As a part of latch mechanism, an adjustable strike comprising a plate adapted to be secured to the door frame and a member having a frusto-conical head having an integral rearwardly projecting screw shank adapted to screw into the member first mentioned.

3. As a part of latch mechanism, an adjustable strike comprising a plate adapted to be secured to the door frame and a member having a rusto-conical head and a rearwardly projecting screw shank adapted to screw into the member first mentioned, said shank having a flat sided portion adapted to be engaged by a wrench.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THEDORE B. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

H. R. SULLIVAN, E. B. GILCHRIST. 

